Nonprofit Advocacy and Civic Engagement on the Internet

2009 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
David F. Suárez
Keyword(s):  
Civic Engagement ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Nonprofit Advocacy

scholarly journals Internet users’ utopian/dystopian imaginaries of society in the digital age: Theorizing critical digital literacy and civic engagement

2021 ◽  
pp. 146144482110186
Author(s):  
Gianfranco Polizzi
Keyword(s):  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Media Literacy ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Engagement ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Utopian Studies ◽  
Utopian Thinking ◽  
Literacy Research

This article proposes a theoretical framework for how critical digital literacy, conceptualized as incorporating Internet users’ utopian/dystopian imaginaries of society in the digital age, facilitates civic engagement. To do so, after reviewing media literacy research, it draws on utopian studies and political theory to frame utopian thinking as relying dialectically on utopianism and dystopianism. Conceptualizing critical digital literacy as incorporating utopianism/dystopianism prescribes that constructing and deploying an understanding of the Internet’s civic potentials and limitations is crucial to pursuing civic opportunities. The framework proposed, which has implications for media literacy research and practice, allows us to (1) disentangle users’ imaginaries of civic life from their imaginaries of the Internet, (2) resist the collapse of critical digital literacy into civic engagement that is understood as inherently progressive, and (3) problematize polarizing conclusions about users’ interpretations of the Internet as either crucial or detrimental to their online engagement.

Does Social Media Engagement Translate to Civic Engagement Offline?

2021 ◽  
pp. 089976402199944
Author(s):  
Jaclyn Piatak ◽  
Ian Mikkelsen
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Presidential Election ◽  
Civic Participation ◽  
Political Engagement ◽  
Political Campaigns ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Engagement ◽  
Informal Volunteering ◽  
Using Data

People increasingly engage in politics on social media, but does online engagement translate to offline engagement? Research is mixed with some suggesting how one uses the internet maters. We examine how political engagement on social media corresponds to offline engagement. Using data following the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election, we find the more politically engaged people are on social media, the more likely they are to engage offline across measures of engagement—formal and informal volunteering, attending local meetings, donating to and working for political campaigns, and voting. Findings offer important nuances across types of civic engagement and generations. Although online engagement corresponds to greater engagement offline in the community and may help narrow generational gaps, this should not be the only means to promote civic participation to ensure all have a voice and an opportunity to help, mobilize, and engage.

Trust, Civic Engagement, and the Internet

2004 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
ERIC M. USLANER
Keyword(s):  
Civic Engagement ◽  
The Internet

MODERN MEANS AND MECHANISMS OF CIVIC ACTIVISM AND INITIATIVE IN SOCIETY

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-44
Author(s):  
Nurali Shodiev ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Political Communication ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Civic Activism ◽  
Political Communications ◽  
Modern Methods ◽  
Methods And Techniques

The article examines the development trends of modern networks of political communication, the growing influence of social networks on the Internet on the civic engagement of citizens. At thesame time, the role of various blogs in expanding citizen participation in public administration is scientifically analyzed.The analysis ofsocial networks, blogs and various media resources used on the Internet as a platform and tool for civic initiatives and activity in society is carried out. The article also discusses modern methods and techniques for using political communications to increase civic engagement.

Hurry Up and Wait: Oppositional Compliance and Networking around the State in Kuwait

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah L. Wheeler
Keyword(s):  
Civic Engagement ◽  
New Media ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Media Use ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Public ◽  
The World

In Chapter 4, data collected through ethnographic research and structured interviews are used to argue that new media tools when used, can profoundly alter social and political practices in Kuwait. Internet use removes inhibitions, gives the public a voice, encourages people to demand access to current, transparent news and information, and enables citizens to become more engaged and active in the world. In the words of one 55 year old female Kuwaiti participant, the Internet “opens the eyes of the younger generation and because of this, they find more freedom to exercise and they can compare freedom in their countries to that in other countries” (Interview, July 2009, Kuwait City). Explanations for the increasingly volatile political and social environment in Kuwait are explored in light of new media use. The persistence of patriarchy in spite of enhanced civic engagement reveals the puzzling nature of oppositional compliance in the emirate.

Social Media and Social Change

2014 ◽  
pp. 56-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauri Goldkind ◽  
John G. McNutt
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Comprehensive System ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of ◽  
Words And Images ◽  
Media And Technology ◽  
Nonprofit Advocacy

Technological advances in communications tools, the Internet, and the advent of social media have changed the ways in which nonprofit organizations engage with their various constituents. Nonprofits now have a constellation of tools including: interactive social media sites, mobile applications (apps), Websites, and mash-ups that allow them to create a comprehensive system for mobilizing supports to advocate for changing public policies. From Facebook to Twitter and from YouTube to Pinterest, communicating to many via words and images has never been easier. The authors explore the history of nonprofit advocacy and organizing, describe the social media and technology tools available for moving advocacy goals forward, and conclude with some possible challenges that organizations considering these tools could face.

The Internet as the Public Sphere

2012 ◽  
pp. 467-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarice Hanson ◽  
Alina Hogea
Keyword(s):  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Public Sphere ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Deliberative Democracy ◽  
The Internet ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Action ◽  
Seminal Work ◽  
Temple University ◽  
The Public Sphere

The Internet has often been heralded as a tool for e-governance and public action because of its ubiquity, accessibility, and the ability for users to participate in online expressions of opinion. In this chapter we discuss the potential for the Internet to function as a public space for facilitating civic engagement. While we draw from the seminal work of Jurgen Habermas to identify the preconditions for the functioning of a “public sphere,” we address four distinctly different approaches to the discussion of the Internet’s role as an effective tool for deliberative democracy by highlighting the contributions of scholars and practitioners who engaged in a dialog on the topic at a symposium held at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 25, 2010.

The Impact of the Internet on Political Activism

2011 ◽  
pp. 3371-3388
Author(s):  
Pippa Norris
Keyword(s):  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Political Activism ◽  
Social Characteristics ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Political Consequences ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
The Social ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
The Public Sphere ◽  
The Impact

The core issue for this study concerns less the social than the political consequences of the rise of knowledge societies; in particular, the capacity of the Internet for strengthening democratic participation and civic engagement linking citizens and government. To consider these issues, Part I summarizes debates about the impact of the Internet on the public sphere. The main influence of this development, as it is theorized in a market model, will be determined by the “supply” and “demand” for electronic information and communications about government and politics. Demand, in turn, is assumed to be heavily dependent upon the social characteristics of Internet users and their prior political orientations. Given this understanding, the study predicts that the primary impact of knowledge societies in democratic societies will be upon facilitating cause-oriented and civic forms of political activism, thereby strengthening social movements and interest groups, more than upon conventional channels of political participation exemplified by voting, parties, and election campaigning. Part II summarizes the sources of survey data and the key measures of political activism used in this study, drawing upon the 19-nation European Social Survey, 2002. Part III examines the evidence for the relationship between use of the Internet and indicators of civic engagement. The conclusion in Part IV summarizes the results and considers the broader implications for governance and democracy.

The Impact of the Internet on Political Activism

2008 ◽  
pp. 889-904
Author(s):  
Pippa Norris
Keyword(s):  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Political Activism ◽  
Social Characteristics ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Political Consequences ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
The Social ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
The Public Sphere ◽  
The Impact

The core issue for this study concerns less the social than the political consequences of the rise of knowledge societies; in particular, the capacity of the Internet for strengthening democratic participation and civic engagement linking citizens and government. To consider these issues, Part I summarizes debates about the impact of the Internet on the public sphere. The main influence of this development, as it is theorized in a market model, will be determined by the “supply” and “demand” for electronic information and communications about government and politics. Demand, in turn, is assumed to be heavily dependent upon the social characteristics of Internet users and their prior political orientations. Given this understanding, the study predicts that the primary impact of knowledge societies in democratic societies will be upon facilitating cause-oriented and civic forms of political activism, thereby strengthening social movements and interest groups, more than upon conventional channels of political participation exemplified by voting, parties, and election campaigning. Part II summarizes the sources of survey data and the key measures of political activism used in this study, drawing upon the 19-nation European Social Survey, 2002. Part III examines the evidence for the relationship between use of the Internet and indicators of civic engagement. The conclusion in Part IV summarizes the results and considers the broader implications for governance and democracy.

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